Imagine a mandala. A digital mandala. Imagine it as a story interface that invites you to navigate stories of LGBTQ+-identifying individuals and their families. Imagine it as a living digital imprint that transforms and evolves, tracking your own transformative journey through their documentary narratives. Imagine recreating narratives that have been erased. Imagine sharing them through the digital diaspora.Body, Home, World: South Asian LGBTQ+ Journeys is an attempt to weave a digital tapestry of documentary stories about queer spaces of color, family, and the immigrant experience. It is a recognition that in many immigrant and communities of color, the family dialogue on sexual and gender identities is fraught with tension and risk, and that the spaces for safe inquiry, consultation, and advocacy are few and far between. It is our hope that these narratives will create a sense of shared experience, an empathic stepping-in-the-shoes, and a sense of community that is respectful, inclusive, and internally diverse.Over the course of four months, you will be invited to embark on four different journeys. Each journey has been mapped from the point of view of LGBTQ+ individuals as well as that of their family members. We hope that you will not only return to the site to watch new content, but also share these stories within your digital networks, your safe spaces, and your families. The creative team behind Body, Home, World also invites you to join us on our social networks for future updates.
Conceived, Produced, and Directed by Aashish Kumar
Creative Director / Lead Coder: Ali Tan Ucer
Mobile Site Design and Development: Rui An, Huiyi Chen
Documentary Segments Produced, Directed, and Edited by Aashish Kumar
Music by Ravi Krishnaswami
Intern and Associate Coder: Jill Shah
Mandala Artwork: Aymun Naqvi
Additional Artwork: Shanshan Wang
Camera: Aashish Kumar, Matt Belen
Research Assistant: Katherine Chwe
Copyright 2021 Embers Films